Friday's combine observations

February 22, 2014

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2. Tale of the tape: Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel measured in at 5-foot-11¾ and 207 pounds, with his hands checking in at 9? inches. Of the three measurements, the only question if his weight. Though he's worked hard to get to 207 pounds, he probably needs to become a little thicker and more muscular to handle the demands and hits of the position. Manziel was pretty entertaining in dismissing any notions of problems with his lack of height and his measurements. "I play with a lot of heart, I play with a lot of passion," Manziel said. "I feel like I play like I'm 10 feet tall. Those measurements to me are just a number." Strong answer. It was hardly surprising that Manziel won the room. Asked the difference between Johnny Manziel and Johnny Football, he said. "Johnny Manziel is a guy. I'm from a small town in Kerrville, Texas -- 20,000 people. What gets lost is the kind of people who make me out to be a big Hollywood guy. I'm really just still a small-town kid." The measurements didn't hurt Manziel. He actually has bigger hands than Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles. Bigger hands are important in preventing fumbles and doing well in cold weather. As for Manziel, he began his workouts after playing last season at 198 pounds. He hopes to add another five or six pounds in the next month.

3. The Browns' coaching story doesn't die: A report that the Cleveland Browns tried to trade for Jim Harbaugh hit late Friday afternoon and continues the bizarre circumstances surrounding Cleveland's coaching search. The Browns put out a statement that didn't exactly refute the report, only saying the team conducted an extensive coaching search and explored several options. The statement added the search produced an outstanding head coach in Mike Pettine. The 49ers say the trade is completely false, as owner Jed York tweeted the story was wrong. Still, the Harbaugh story overall is an interesting one. He's entering the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million deal, and both sides are nowhere close to reaching an extension. Harbaugh has been to three consecutive NFC championship games and is one of the best coaches in the league. But until he gets an extension, stories like these might continue. There have been stories about strains Harbaugh might have in his working relationship with general manager Trent Baalke. Some of that is understandable because Harbaugh is so driven and competitive that he can make relationships tough because he wants to win so much. But the Browns were never going to get Harbaugh.